Venkaiah Naidu

"There are around 16 bills which are pending. 12 of them have been passed in the Lok Sabha and they are all important bills concerning the welfare of the people," Parliamentary Affairs Minister Venkaiah Naidu said.

After the PM's meeting with Congress President Sonia Gandhi and former PM Manmohan Singh, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Central government is expecting that it will be able to pass the GST with consensus and not just a majority.

Meanwhile, a day after the Sonia-PM meeting, Congress top leader Mallikarjun Kharge reached Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi's residence on Saturday morning to discuss the future course of plan and decision on GST Bill.

Nitish Kumar telephoned prominent leaders personally to invite them for the swearing-in ceremony of the new government. Bihar JD(U) President Basistha Narayan Singh said inviting the Prime Minister was a political etiquette and it was now on him whether to come or not.

Contending that India is today the most favourite destination for investment, Naidu said some opponents had launched a "disinformation campaign" for political reasons.

"The Winter session of Parliament is likely to be convened any day after November 19. But a final decision will be taken by the Cabinet Committee of Parliamentary Affairs (CCPA) on October 26," a government functionary said after a CCPA meeting on Wednesday.

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Naidu while praising the state government said that Rajasthan has become the first state to sign memorandum of understandings (MoUs) for promoting affordable housing projects with private and public sector companies.

To a question on whether the government is still hopeful that it will be able to roll out GST from April 2016, Naidu replied in affirmative, saying there is still scope for this. He indicated that the government is toying with the idea of the Winter Session immediately after the Bihar polls are over on November 8.

Smart City Plans will be evaluated in the second stage of City Challenge competition based on such consultations and their economic and environmental impacts, Naidu said.

"They (government) want to call a special session and they are consulting all parties it seems. Unless we see what are the amended clauses or what is the agreement between the proposal of the standing committee and government, unless we see the final bill, we cannot comment on that," Congress leader in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge said.

Availability of land is a big challenge and has become a big debate in the country, he said at a conference here on sustainable and inclusive urbanisation.

Parliament's Monsoon Session, which begins on Tuesday, is likely to be a very stormy one.

Noting that India has prioritised the creation of 100 smart cities - which will incorporate the use of solar energy, rain water harvesting, good sanitation, drinking water and smart public transportation - Naidu explained the recent guidelines for selection of the cities, financing mechanisms and incentives for private sector participation.

The minister said that the cities would be transformed as engines for economic growth in the country. Also, 2 crore houses are to be built in cities to provide housing for the poor in urban areas who have been living in slums.

While holding a meeting with Uttarkhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat here, Naidu said projects which are not even completed 50 percent will be put under new schemes and will get funds accordingly.

The decision to send the GST bill for a parliamentary committee review spooked investors, leading to a more than 2 percent fall in stock markets.

After his mega farmers' rally on Sunday, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi is expected to lead the party's charge and continue his attack on the government. All Congress MPs will be meeting Rahul in the evening.

With Parliament set to witness a stormy session over a host of issues, including the long pending Land Acquisition bill, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Venkaiah Naidu asked BJP MPs to be present in their House throughout.

With Parliament set to witness a stormy session over a host of issues, including the controversial land bill, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Venkaiah Naidu asked BJP lawmakers to be present in their House throughout.